Odd Love
by Tora tsume chan
Summary: When Raphael goes to take a breather from another fight with Leo, he gets more than he bargained for- a girl that can match his temper! RaphaelxOC
1. Chapter 1

_**Tora- Well, this is definitely different from my other stories. I used to watch TMNT ALL the time. ANYWAY, this is the 2003 version and the turtles are about sixteen-seventeen in this. It's a RaphaelXoc all the way, with probably some LeoXoc, MikeyXoc and DonnyXoc. I don't know, but I hope you enjoy my newest fandum attack! Comments and critisism are required after you read this story. I need to know if people like it or not. Thanks goes to beccalovesbumblebee. I own nothing.**_

Chapter 1: Snapping

Hmm, where to start? Well, I guess I could start with the picture. That's me and my best friend Marissa. We took that in the Autumn of 2003 when we were fifteen. Hardly a care in the world; except school, boys, and having fun. Though, now that I think about it, we really didn't do much. Believe it or not, there wasn't alot that two, fifteen year old girls can do in the Big Apple. I'm not joking! Our parents were probably the cause of that, though. Ya' know, the classic- 'Two, little girls in a scary big city shouldn't be off by themselves' gimic? Yeah, they charted places for us to go within a two block radius. Marissa and I snuck out a bunch of times and got into trouble because of that. Yeah, that was basically the sum of our lives; until the Summer of 2004. That's when our real story begins...

XxX

A full moon hung in the night sky; a glowing orb of white. The streets of downtown Manhattan were oddly quiet and empty. The dimm lights on the street casting eerie shadows across the landscape. Not a singlesole; except the occasional walker, was seen. But in the darkness of an alleyway, a lone shadow was silently covering a manhole. Straightening up, the shadow jumped onto the nearby fire-escape. Continuing up the shadow made it to the roof of the building. In the light of the moon the shadow was revealed. He was not a man, but a turtle that was about five-foot, eleven-inches. His smooth, green skin shown in the moonlite. Muscles from years of fighting and practicing rippled as he moved. On his elbows and knees were guards and a brown leather belt held the red covered sai on his waist. Traveling up his body, past his chest and up to his head; dark chocolate brown eyes were under the same red cloth. His face was etched with a scowl. Raphael glared across the way; staring out at the city. _Damn you, Leo. _He thought bitterly, his hand curling into a fist. "Who da' hell does he think he is?!" Raphael growled out loud this time. Their latest argument was floating around his skull; mocking him. It just happened to be one of those days where EVERYTHING set him off. It started off in the dojo when they were doing their katas. Master Splinter was doing his daily rounds of corrections. Raph was doing fine; going over the well known moves nicely. Master Splinter nodded at him with appreciation and even Mikey didn't make a jab. But Leo, Leo just _had _to make a comment. **"Decided to do things the slow way now, Raph?"**

A simple comment but it urked him to no end. Raphael ignored him, but his movements became jerkish because of his irritation. What Leo said next was what set him off. **"Oh, nevermind, guess I was wrong. Course, according to you, I'm always wrong." **Raphael stopped what he was doing and just stared at him with frustruation.

_**"Yeah, Fearless, you always are wrong. Now, shuddup so Ah can concentrate and do these right." **_

**"Since when did you ever care how we do things properly?! You're always going off, doing your own thing, and leaving us behind whenever you get too hot-tempered!" **It was then that he threw a punch at his brother's face. As always, he threw the first hit, but not the first word. LEO had started the fight; not him. The fight ended when Leo pinned him to the floor and he left right after that. Raphael growled deep in his chest. He had no idea what caused Leonardo to instigate him when he knew about his mood, or why he had to make the comment about leaving them. If Leonardo didn't know that he was always loyal to the clan, then he didn't know his own brother. Yeah, he was a hot head, but he's gotten better. Sure, he likes to fight, but he didn't like to be violent with his family. Especially his family. HELL it made him angry just for being angry. He was a bomb that could go off for no reason. Raphael sighed and looked down. _Leo is right. I do get out of control and leave them. _He blinked a few times before narrowing his eyes at his two-toed feet. _But I always come back. _The hatred and frustruation for his brother came rushing back and Raphael turned and walked to the opposite end of the roof. _I didn't come top-side to question mu morals. I came up here to find some punks and blow off steam! _With that last thought, he sprinted across the roof and jumped over to the next building. It was time he got down to business.

XxX

An hour passed and for once in New York's life there were zero crimes. At least, none that Raphael could find. He was currently sprinting and jumping off buildings in a desperate chase to find relief from his emotions. The cool, crisp air swept by his body as he dashed around. If he was like any of his other brothers, the time and cold air would have settled him down...but it was established that he was nothing like his brothers. If anything, the time just made him even more restless to find someone to knock around. The ninja turtle landed on top of an apartment building somewhere in uptown Manhattan towards Queens. Breathing heavily from the exersion, he sat down on an air vent to catch his breath. Raph thought about going back home and what he would expect when he got back. He could see it now- he would walk in and go to the kitchen to grab whatever the had for dinner, Mikey would say 'hi' while playing a game, Donny would be tinkering in his lab, Master Splinter would be meditating, and Leo would come waltzing out of the dojo from trying to 'perfect' a new move. He would ask where he had been and that he was sorry for the comment. Then Raphael would say he'd been out and that he was also sorry. Badda-bing, badda-boom, they would make-up and things would back to normal. It was the same damn scenario that it always was and he didn't want it to be that way. _No! Let them believe dat Ah won't be comin' home dis time. Let them blame Ol' Fearless for angering meh enough for meh to not come home. It would serve 'im right. _

A wicked grin was spread across his face as he thought about his plan. He wouldn't come home till he KNEW everyone would be asleep. A little childish? Well, yes, but it dripped with a sickening sweetness to it. Raphael stood up, breathing correctly, smug with his plan, and pumped to keep on moving. He scanned the block in case in his rush he missed something. Whether or not of the plan, he still planned on knocking some heads together. Yet, there _still _didn't seem to be any punks around. Raphael silently growled and was about to turn and leave when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something move in the light. Three shadows were moving silently toward the alleyway he was next to. Quietly, he leaned over the edge of the roof. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of three thugs attempting to pick a locked door.

Two were male and each was uglier than the next. One was tall and heavilly built. His face was marred by a scare going diagonally down his face. He wore black cargo pants, a dark red T-shirt, and a sleeveless black jacket. The other man was the complete opposite of his companion. He was stick thin and looked like he couln't lift a pencil. His head looked to the side and Raphael caught the sight of his face in the light. It was covered in every piercing possible. His outfit consisted of blue cargo pants, a green long-sleeved shirt, and a similar style black jacket. The one picking the lock was a girl as far as he could tell.

That or a really feminine guy with long dirty blonde hair. Her face was down so he couldn't see what she looked like, but clothes mirrored that of her campanions. All of them had something on the right forearms. Raph squinted in the horrible lighting and just made out a tattoo. _Purple Dragons, eh? Haven't seen them in a loooong time. _A malicisous grin appeared on his face. _This is goin' ta be interesting. _He lept silently over the alley to the next building and scaled his way down to the back of the alley. He kept to the shadows; not wanting his presence yet known. Piercing was shifting around, looking back-and-forth between the door and th street. Bulky scowled down at him. "Quit shif'en."

"I can't, 'kay? Ah just got this feeling, ya know?" Piercing's voice squeaked out.

Bulky snorted in disgust. "An' you call yer'self a **Purple Dragon.**"

Piercing glared at his companion and opend his mouth to retort when a raspy, gratting voice interjected. "_Enough! _Gawd, I can't think with the two of you chattering like tweety birds. Do you want to get the goods or not?" Raphael finally got a good look at the person picking the lock. She was definitely a she. Her face was pale, her eyes a stormy grey color, her dirty blonde hair was choppy, and a gemstone glinted on her nose. The only maimed thing about her was probably her voice. It sounded like someone took her vocals through a blender. Her companions didn't reply and she went back to work. _Show time! _Raphael practically sang in his head. "Ya' know," he drawled out. "Breaking an' entering is against the law, right?"

Immediately, the three punks turned whipped around; each grabbing their weapons that Raph hadn't seen. Still in the shadows, Raph gave them a smirk. "Guess that's a 'yes'?" Bulky surged forward with a roar and swung the pipe he held above his head. Raphael waited until the last moment when he swung to deliver an upper kick to the guys face. Bulky flew backwards into the side of the building. Now in the light, crouched down and ready to spring, Raphael looked over at the other two and quirked an eyeridge. "Next?" This time both of them came foreward. They started swinging and jabbing at him but he blocked them blow-for-blow.

"Awwe, ya' guys, two against one? Ah didn't know ya' cared!" he mocked them. Piercing swung his bat toward the ninja's head. He grabbed it and tugged it the wimp toward him; delivering a roundhouse to the punk. Piercing landed on the ground hard with an 'oof!'. "BASTARD!" the blonde screeched and swung with all her might at Raph's middle. He jumped just in time and landed behind her. "Hey, how was Ah supposed ta' know that you boozoes started recruiting wimps?" Blondie yelled in frustruation and charged him. He moved to the side and tripped her. She stumbled, but he caught her arm and threw her into some trashcans. When she didn't get up, he turned to the wimp quivering behind him. Piercing was gazing at him with wide disbelief. Raphael growled deep in his chest and nearly doubled over laughing when the guy wet his pants. Luckily he didn't, otherwise the effect he was looking for would have been ruined.

He half expected him to faint but he surprised Raph when he scrambled to his feet and ran. _The coward won't even stay an' fight! _he thought angrily;before lunging after him. He grapped the top of the guy's jacket and pulled him back. Piercing spun around with a yelp which turned to a screech of pain as Raphael kneed him in the stomach. He fell to the ground groaning, clutching his injured middle. Raphael should have felt better from beating the crap out of some Dragons, but his heart still raced. His blood was still boiling. Something in him snapped and he hauled the punk up off the ground and faced him. "Pl-Please, don' k-kill me! It wasn't mah idea, h-honest!" he squeaked out and grabbed Raph's wrists tightly. In his state of mind, Raphael was reliving the fight he had with Leo. The seen where he was humiliated by being pinned was repeatedly coming to back to him. The way Leo had pinned him was with the same force as the guy he was currently holding had his wrists.

Raphael only saw red. With a roar of anger, he grabbed one of the guy's wrists and started twisting; deaf to the guys screams of agony. He twisted it until he heard the sickening _snap! _of bone breaking. Piercing let out a silent scream and went limp in his arms. He let him fall to the ground unconsious. Raphael stared at him for a minute before blinking a few times. His breathing was ragged, his eyes dialated and his whole body shook with tension. Slowly, his mind started returning to him and his anger disappeared entirerly. _What've Ah done? _he asked himself over and over again. He felt like he was going to hurl. Stumbling backwards, Raphael leaned against the apartment building for support. _"What is wrong wit' meh?" _he asked himself hoarsely.

"Alot, Freak!" Someone shouted just before Raphael was bashed in the head with a heavy object. His head exploded with agonizing pain as he fell to his knees. The pain was soo intense, that he didn't even register that he was lying facedown in an grungy alleyway. He heard someone walk by him as he fought to stay concious. Then someone talked. "Come on, Jason. We have to get Geno to the hostpital."

"An' what 'bout 'im?" a gruff voice questioned. "We ain't jus' going ta' leave him wit'out punishment, are we?"

A pause and then- "Leave the freak, we have other problems right now. Besides, Jason, he's down for the count...". To Raph, at that moment, their voices slurred together; like when Mikey talks too fast. He just registered that they left before he blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2: It's a Turtleman?

_**Tora- Second chapter?! Whaaaaaaat? Man I'm on a roll. No, just kidding. It was already written down. But anyways, this is where it gets interesting and a little funny. Also, I haven't gotten it edited so sorry. Enjoy!**_

_**Raphael- Dat's it?**_

_**Tora- ?**_

_**Raphael- No disclaimer...?**_

_**Tora- OH! Durrr, I forgot! Can you do it? Pweease, Raphy?**_

_**Rpahael- *sighs* Tora does not own meh, ma family, ma friends or anyone dat is involved with TMNT. She only owns her own characters. So enjoy da story an' ignore da stupidity.**_

_**Tora- -_-**_

Chapter 2: It's a turtle-man...?!

Screaming. That's what woke me up. Someone was screeching like an animal outside of my bedroom window. I looked toward the window and then turned and glared at my digital clock. "_Eleven- fucking- fifteen!_ What the HELL is going on that someone needs to be screaming this late?!" I muttered. Grumbling under my breath, I threw my purple sheets back and stumbled my way to the window. I grabbed the bottom and jerked it up; only to realize it was freaking locked. Cursing the whole time as I unlocked it, I threw the pane up and pulled the screen in. I stuck my head out to see what the heck was going on and gasped in shock. Down in the alleyway someone bashed a pipe over some poor souls head! The person fell to the ground and the assaulter ran over to another person lying on the ground a few feet away. "Come on, Jason. We have to get Geno to the hostpital, " the assaulter spoke to someone else. _Why do they sound familiar? _I asked myself; then shook my head and continued viewing the scene.

"An' what 'bout 'im?" a gruff voice questioned. I saw a huge man come out of the shadows and stopped next to the body. "We ain't jus' going ta' leave him wit'out punishment, are we?"

The other paused in putting their arms under their companion and looked back at the other man. Dirty blonde hair swayed in the dimm light, but I couldn't make out a face. "Leave the freak, we have other problems right now. Besides, Jason, he's down for the count for the count anyway." The hulking man seemed to nod and walked over to help carry their friend. After they left, I sat on my plush floor and stared at my window. _I need to help them._ Was my first thought, then I thought about the scenario I had just witnessed. _I only saw the last part of the fight. I don't know if this guy is a rival gang member, or some crazy, unfortunate dude. _I crossed my arms and looked down at my nail-polished toes. _He could be dangerous and I really don't want to see if I remember my defense moves. I could get hurt- wait, WHAT!? _I sprang to my feet and gave a small growl. "Oh FUCK this! I am NOT a pansy. I've gone Jumping in fucking combat boots! How the hell is this anymore dangerous?" I grabbed a pair of flip-flops and, out of habit, checked my reflection. A scary sight awaited me. My red-ish/brown hair was frizzed in every direction, mascara and eyeliner were smeared under my eyes, making me look dead. I wore a scanty blue, wrinkled tank-top, with the words 'I'm smiling because Karma's finally biting your ass and not mine' was lopsided. My big butt was covered by black boxers with Playboy bunnies on them. Quickly, I snatched my brush off the dresser and untangled the knots. Then, I took the bottom of my top and wiped some of the make-up away. I looked back at my reflection and I'm proud to say I didn't look like a zombie whore. I sprinted to my window and climbed out of it with practiced ease. I climbed down the fire escape; quickly making it to the ground. An uneasy feeling kept trying to creep its way into my stomach but I pushed it down and continued walking toward the unconsious man. As I got steadily closer, I noticed a strange outline on his back. It was large, round and smooth-ish looking. _A backpack? _I asked myself. I squinted and looked closer. _No not a backpack. Too large and round. It almost looks like..._ I halted a foot from the body. "It's ...a shell?!" I said in shock. Indeed it was a large, shiny, intricately designed turtleshell. And it was attached to this man's back. "Why would he wear something like that?" I muttered quietly. A thought crosse my mind and I crouched down and inspected his sides. It was too dark to see anything; so I went to feel his sides. Unease finally surfaced and I dropped my hand before I was even halfway to the body. _You can do this! _Taking a deep breath, I tentively reached my hand out and felt his sides. An odd textured skin was covering his sides and was connected to the shell and to his front. It was real. So very, very real. Sighing, I leaned back on my haunches and contemplated my situation. _Obviously the shell is real. And it is attached to this man. So that means that it's apart of him." _I sighed again and rubbed my temples. "The only semi-logical explaination is that he's some kind of Turtleman. As freaky as it is I can't leave him here. Some wacko could come and sell him for parts or something." I looked down at him and sighed once again. "Yeeeaahh, this is going to be a wierd night."

XxX

Because of the fact that it would have raised questions from the other attendants, I didn't take him through the front door. Nope. I took to the back door- back up my freaking fire-escape. Let me tell you, it was not easy. It took me nearly fifteen-twenty minutes to haul this guy's heavy ass up those stairs. Thank God for adrenaline. In any case, I was dragging him through my window when it happened. He got STUCK in my FREAKING window. He fucking got stuck! "Stupid shell!" I growled in frustruation and kicked a stray show out of my way; as I paced. "What the hell do I do now?" _I wonder what mom and dad would do if they saw my window torn apart. I'd have to explain how a Turtleman got bashed over the head in the alley, and I got him stuck through my window because I wanted to help him. _I snorted in amusement. Yeah, that would go well. They'd throw me in a cushioned cell with squeaky ducks. I sighed and flopped down on my queens sized bed. Closing my eyes, I started to go over ideas. _Okay, so pulling him won't work; unless I feel like repainting that window. Obviously that shell is the problem. That, and my winow isn't exactly wide, but it s tall... _I sat up quickly and face-palmed. "I'm such an _IDIOT!_ Why didn't I think of this before? I have to turn him sideways!" Jumping to my feet, I immediately started to work. First, I gently nudged him back out the window and onto the fire-escape; keeping ahold of a very convinient brown belt around his waist. It was then that I actually noticed them. A pair of three-pronged blades, wrapped in red cloth, hung from the belt. _Why would this...guy...thing, have weapons on him? _I shrugged and grabbed the blades. _Not my concern right now. Better put these away so I don't get cut. _And I threw them on my bed where they _chinked! _together. Focusing back to the job at hand, I moved my hands to his shoulders and twisted his body sideways as best as I could. God dammit this guy was heavy! I then started pulling through the window, and he started to come through nicely, then, about halfway, he got stuck. AGAIN! "Oh no. You're so not doing this again, Buster!" I yelled, and tugged as hard as I could. **POP! **He unlatched and flew right on top of me. "Oaf!" I grunted as my back hit the flor. Dazed and dizzy, I layed there until my mind finally registered that I had a very heavy, very hot, very muscular body on me. Did I mention he was very heavy? And muscular? And hot? I felt my face heat up with embarassment. "Smooth, Christia, smooth," I muttered as I heaved the Turtleman off as gently as I could. Haha, yeah, like that was actually going to work! He ended up rolling sideways with a thud on my floor. I cringed and shut my eyes tightly; waiting for the crazy thing to wake-up. Silence; not even a groan of pain. Opening one eye, I saw that he had not moved an inch but layed there like he was asleep. Panic gripped my heart. What if the hit had killed him and I just carried a dead guy up to my room? Another bought of panic swept through me. What if I was the one who killed him from carrying him and such? I looked at his chest from where I sat and noticed that he was breathing. Relief swept over me. Getting up, I chuckled nervously. "That would have been bad." So, with that, I went back to my job. Getting him to the living room because it was bigger than my room. And it would have plain wierd if he woke-up and saw my underwear. I tried lifting him up, but my strength was gone. I knew that in order to move him, I would ned to somehow get under him. You know, to move him to the living room? I looked down at him and then at his shell. _I wonder... _Lifting my foot, I gently pushed his leg to the right. _Pshhshhshsh! _The sound of the shell moving on the carpet was music to my ears. I gave a small Whoop! of joy before grabbing his arms and slowly dragged him to the living room. We made it to the living room in two minutes tops. Out of breath, I leaned him against the black couch and took a breather.

"Why couldn't you...have been...easier to...carry up the...fire-escape?" I puffed out. I got no answer from my unconcious friend. Instead, his head rolled to the side slowly, and I could see blood trickling down from the gash. Sighing, I ran and got several rags from the broom closet. When I came back, the Turtleman had fallen agaisnt the coffee table. I gared at the unconcious man, and pushed him back to the couch. Then, I moved the table back several feet. Once that was done, I kneeled and started to examin the long wound. _Whoever that person was sure has one Hell of a swing. _The smooth flesh was broken to reveal underlying flesh and muscle. Red blood contrasted dramatically with the dark green skin; as it flowed freely out of the gash. My first aid class came rushing back to me. _First, I gotta keep his head from moving. Second, I hafta' apply pressure to the wound and stop the bleeding. Then, and only then, can I fully repair it. _I grabbed a couple pillows and propped Turlteman's head with them. Then, I grabbed a clean rag and applied it to his head with as much pressure as I could muster. With how much blood that was seeping out, I wasn't surprised to have to change the rag within three minutes. I switched rags and dumped the other one on the table (which would be bleached right after this...as well as the carpet). This went on for several more minutes and I was finally down to my last rag. The blood had slown down considerably, but was still heavy enough that I needed more rags. I threw the blood soaked towel on the table and ran to grab three more rags. As soon as I grabbed them, I immediatley ran back and applied pressure with the new rags. I didn't have to keep an eye on the blood too much anymore, so I took in my 'patients' appearence. He was definitely a turtle; if the dark green skin and shell didn't give that away. He was a very...nice shade of green. Almost like a forest green. He had a strong, but rounded, jaw; showing even more of his turtle ancestry. Across his eyeswas the same red material that covered those blades in my bedroom. Letting my eyes wander down further, I took in every detail and crevice of his torso. His arms were built to the point where they weren't huge, but large enough to see that they held power. On his elbows were these brown-leather guards that were shingled to move with his arm. His chest, like his arms, was chiseled with hard muscle. Even with the plastron covering most of his chest, the muscle were clearly seen. I changed the rag again and went back to my examination. Like the top of him, the bottom was just as muscular. Long, powerful thighs and calves were layered with thick, sewny muscle. On his knees were those same guards that were on his elbows. He only had two toes on his feet and only three fingers on his hands. Small, very light scars shimmered across his body. An especially long one stretched acrossed his chest. I had a strange urge to touch it. Immediately, I smacked that out of my head. He was a complete and total abnromal starnger! _**But you really want to.**_ A little voice spoke to me. _**When he wakes up, you won't get the chance. **_

_I. Don't. Care. _I growled back. _He's injured and I won't violate someone's personal space just to satisfy my fucking curiosity! _That shut the voice up and I went back to work. The bleeding had finally stopped and I grabbed my medical kit, and began to clean the gunk and crud out of the wound. Once it was clean, I poured disenfectant onto it and dabbed it gently clean. Now that the blood, dirt, and loose skin was gone I could properly see the gash. It was about three-inches long and about an inch-and-a-half wide. The sight of the flesh and tissue underneath made me queasy, but I pushed past it and grabbed the needle and medical thread. It was now time for the part that I hated most- stitching it closed. Made me cringe everytime. _At least he's out cold for this. _I told myself; as I applied some heavy numbing ointment to the surrounding area. **Push, push, Poke! Push, push, Poke! **The sound of me sewing it closed went on for fifteen minutes before it was closed with over thirty, neat, little stictches. I dressed the closed gash with healing and anti-bacterial ointment before wrapping gauze around it. Sitting back with a huff! I looked tiredly over at my patient. "How the hell you stayed unconcious throughout this whole ordeal, is beyeond me. Unfortunately, that means you have to stay here a little while longer. Just be lucky my parents are at a seven day conference," I tols him. He didn't answer back and I was kinda thankfull for that. It would have been wierd if he had just woke up. I sat there for a moment before looking over at the wall clock. "Oooh, fuck," I groaned, "It's one o'clock." I glanced over at my mess and groaned again. Cleaning was going to suck.

XxX

It was another half-hour before I finished picking things up, throwing things in the washer and drier, bleaching tables, and washing carpets. 'Course, I did all that AFTER I prooped my patient with a comfy pillow on the floor. Why on the floor? Well, I couldn't seem ta' get him on the couch. So after all that cleaning, I sluggishly made my way to the beige recliner on the farside of the room and plopped ungraciously onto it. A quick glance to my right told me he was still out cold. All of my muscles ached and my brain was screaming for sleep. I watched the clock _tick _to one-thirty-one and _tock _into my sleep.


	3. Chapter 3: One Hell of a Way to Wake-up

_**Tora- Welp, here is the third chappy. We get to see how well Raphael reacts to his...predicament. Hehehehehe :) **_

_**Raphael- -_- Thanks alot there, Tora.**_

_**Christia- Yeah, thanks. -_-**_

_**Tora- T.T Why are none of the characters ever happy? Anyway, thankyou beccalovesbumblebee for editing once again! We all appreciate your hard work for putting up with me XD Disclaimer: I do NOT own TMNT. If I did well, we won't go there. .**_

Chapter 3: One Hell of a Way to Wake-up

Silence filled the apartment to the brim. No sound was heard; except breathing. On the ground, the body of a certain turtle started twitching. Raphael groaned and rolled his head to the side. He was becoming aware of extruciating pain everywhere. From his throbbing head, down to his two-toed feet. All he wanted to do was bury his face into his comfy pillow. _Wait. _He thought groggily. _Ah don' remember comin' home last night. _That last thought had him snap his eyes open. His vision was blury and it took a minute for him to rub the gunk out of his eyes. With his vision clear, Raphael looked at his surroundings. He was on a plush carpet, with a pillow under his head, in between a black couch and brown coffee table. _These don't look like ANY of Casey's furniture...or April's fer tha' matter._

A horrible realization hit him like a train- He was in a strangers home! Raphael bolted up quickly; instantly awake. That wasn't a good idea on his part. Pain exploded inside his skull and he gripped his head with a groan. Once the pain settled, and his senses weren't overwhelmed, he felt some type of cloth on his head. Besides his ninja mask. "Huh?" He explored the wierd cloth. It was a rough textured cloth and it was wrapped around his noggin several times. _If Ah didn't know betta', I'd say tha' this is gauze. If it is, then what da' shell happened last night? _

Raphael tried to get his thoughts together but everything was moving fast. Whenever he would try and concentrate on a memory, it would slip out of his fingers. Irritated, he started standing up so he could look around. No sense in just sitting there waiting for the executioner. He managed to get to his feet with great effort. His body was sluggish and heavy from lack of use. Plus, laying on the floor did wonders on his back. _Ah can do this. _He gritted his teeth and took a step foreward...only to stumble to the side and hit the coffee table. Gravity came down on him like a ton of bricks as he fell over the table. "**Fuck!" **he yelled and tried to catch himself, but to no avail. He tumbled over with a loud crash on the floor. In the process, he woke up a certain human from her slumber.

Raphael looked up from his position on the floor when he heard the loud gasp, and glared at the girl sitting in a beige recliner. She was staring at him with shock. Slowly, ever so slowly, he untangled himself and kneeled on all fours. His world was spinning, he was in great pain, and to top it off; a _human_ was in the same room with him. Probably the same one who brought him here. But why? Raphael heard her hesitating steps come toward him. _Stay away from meh! _he wanted to shout at her, but stayed motionless. A ninja always stayed hidden until the need for action had come. He half expected her to speak to him but all she did was kneel down next to him.

His next action went perfect. Grabbing her by the waist, he swung her to the ground, straddled her, and pinned her wrists. She gasped in shock and looked up at him with wide-eyes. Raphael looked into her eyes and, for a brief second, was lost in them. Her eyes were an unusual color- they were silver. _Pretty. _He thought before he shook it away and went down to business. "What da' hell do ya' want with meh?" he growled at her. The girl didn't speak so he added pressure to her wrists and leaned down till his mouth was directly by her ear. She flinched and shivered when he spoke. "Ah want you ta' tell meh, why Ahm in _yer house, _who ya' work for, and why Ah have bandages on meh!" Raphael leaned back but kept the pressure on her wrists. He watched her throat move up and down as she swallowed a couple times before opening her mouth. "I-I don't know w-what your talking about," she stuttered out. "But my n-name is Christia. You're in my apartment because someone cracked you over your head. It happened outside my bedroom window. That's also the reason you have bandages on your head. I cleaned the gash." She licked her lips and continued; her voice getting stronger with each word. "I don't work for anybody, honestly! I'm only sixteen and my parents won't let me get a job yet. Could you please let my wrists go? I can't feel my fingers."

Raphael stared incrediously at this girl who claimed her name was Christia. _She said that Ah got hit over da' head. All Ah remember is dat Ah was planing on trickin' the guys. Then seein' those shadows...they were Purple Dragons..I think. _He glanced down at her again. "Did ya' see the people who hit meh?" She shook her head. "All I saw was a girl with blonde hair and a big guy grab their friend and high tale it out of there." Her eyes were very expressive and he could see that she was telling the truth. _A girl wit' blonde hair..._A flash of seeing a face contorted in rage flew through his mind. He closed his eyes tight and concentrated. More images came to him. Him fighting three people, Purple Dragons, and him kicking their asses. Then he went after one of the men and lost control- Raphael snapped his eyes open and shame burned like molten lava through his body.

He'd lost control and severely injured a defenseless man. _Ah...Ah've dishonored you sensei. How can Ah face ya' when Ah get home? _Someone cleared their throat and he looked down numbly at his captive. She smiled apologenically. "I know you are in your thoughts but I seriously cannot feel my fingers." Raphael let her wrists go and she curled her arms into her chest. "Now, would you be able o get off? I'm not a threat I swear it." He slowly complied by standing and pulling her up. She gave him another smile. The girl said something but Raphael wasn't paying attention. His ears had started buzzing and his vision started to blurr. His head started to throb and he groaned in pain.

Raphael felt the girl grab his arm and he could barely glare at her; let alone move out of her weak grasp. "You okay, Turtleman?" he heard her ask. He opened his mouth to tell her off when the room pitched forward and he collapsed onto the ground.

XxX

Slowly light filtered into his vision as Raphael came around for a second time. Unlike the first time, however, his senses were with him because he could distinctly _hear _someone muttering to themselves. "Just had to exert yourself, didn't ya'? Couldn't have just sat on the couch? Stupid Turtleman!" Raphael's vision finally focused and he saw the girl sitting at his feet packing a box up. She was muttering darkly to herself and totally oblivious that he was awake. Raphael decided to listen to her. "I drag your sorry ass ALL THE WAY UP THAT FUCKING FIRE ESCAPE and for what?" **Slam! **A pair of tiny scissors were thrown into the box. "Oh, I know, to open up those damn stitches! I'm not your 'friendly neighborhood first-aid girl', ya' know?!"

Yup. She was talking about him. The comments dug under his skin but he kept his cool. "Ah neva' said you were, girly," Raphael finally growled. She gasped and looked down at him; her face bright pink and her eyes wide. He couldn't help himself- he smirked. "Yer face is adorable when it is pink." She blushed harder and looked at the carpet to hide the blush. "How much of that did you hear?" she mumbled. "Everything. Including the 'Turtleman' comment," he said dryly. The girl ducked her head even lower and mumbled somthing incoherently. Raphael asked her to speak up. She looked up and glared at him; apparently not liking the idea of repeating herself.

"I said, 'I didn't know what your name was so I made one up'! There, are you happy?" He nodded in understanding and the watched one another in silence. Raph shifted on the ground trying to get comfortable. _Dis carpet is giving me a serious rug-burn! _He grumbled in his head. He sat up slowly, remembering the first time he woke-up, and proceeded to climb on the couch. The girl- he ouldn't remember her name to save his life- protested and shot to her feet to grab his arm. A low growl vibrated from Raphael's throat and her hand flinched back to her side. Yet she gave him an irritated look and huffed. "And what is wrong with you not liking my floor?"

Raphael gave her the 'Are you fucking serious' look. "It ain't all that comfy, girly." She crossed her arms and stood in a stance that kinda reminded him of Leo about to give him a lecture. "Well, _Buster, _I don't really care." He raised an imaginary eyebrow at that comment. She continued this time poking his platron. "What I do care about are those stitches in your noggin that I had to do _twice _because you were careless!"

_Stitches? _Raphael thought; confused. What the shell was this girl talking about? Then he remembered the gauze around his head. Lifting his hand up, Raphael grabbed the gauze and pulled. The material gave way with a _Shriiik! _and the girl looked at him with dismay. Ignoring her look he carefully touched his head and felt around. _Nothin' on meh left. _His skin felt as smooth as always. He switched sides and dragged his index finger up from the ridge of his eye all the way back. As he crossed over the top of his head, he felt small bumps; so miniscule that he had to repeat the process.

_Well I'll be damned._ His eyes widdened slightly as he examined how long it was- nearly three inches. _I can only imagine how wide it was... _Raphael eyed the girl who had stitched his skull closed and was conflicted. He didn't know whether to be upset that she risked herself, or be thankful that she did. So he settled on both. "Why?" She looked at him curiously; head tilted to the side, her red-brown hair swaying from the movement. "Huh?"

Raphael looked at her straight in the eye and said, "Why'd you save meh? Why would ya' risk yer own life to save a freak like meh!? Fer all you know is tha' I'm some serial killer!" By now he was shouting at her. She didn't flinch; didn't even recoil in fear. Instead, her face was calm and passive but her eyes had turned a pearly color. It was almost like she made his rage her own. "You want to know why I saved you?" She questioned him;her voice quiet. "I helped you because I saw some poor person get whacked. _Outside _my window, might I add, and I couldn't just go back to sleep knowing someone lay _bleeding _to death. And whether or not I risk my own skin is none of your concern, _sir!" _

Raphael jumped to his feet and stared down at the female who had just told him off. He growled deep in his chest as he pointed a finger at her. "I don' need to be reprimand me, girly!" She shoved his green apendage away from her face and crossed her arms. "I'm not, you dillusional idiot!" The girl raised her voice; matching Raphael's. "I'm merely telling you off because you are being EXTREMELY INCONSIDERATE! And I know you aren't a 'serial killer'." She made bunny ears in the air which just added fuel to Raph's already fiery mood. He opened his mouth to point out that she couldn't possibly know, but she kept on talking. "You know how I know? Because a serial killer wouldn't stand here arguing with me about risking my safety to save them! Now, if by some shadow of doubt you are a killer, then you are the MOST caring killer I have ever heard of!"

That shut him up real quick and he looked away from her patronizing gaze. _Jus' like Leo's. _He thought grimmly. _But she has a point. I've been lyin' through meh teeth da' whole entire time. Guess she isn't a stereotypical human afta' all. _Glancing back at her, he saw that she had calmed down and decided to sit on the couch. Her silver eyes looked at him thoughtfully. He sighed. "What?" She blinked and patted the seat next to her. "Nothin'. Just sit. It'll make you feel better." Snorting at the irony, he did what she asked but on the other end. Raphael put a hand on his head and closed his eyes. The headache had come back and wasn't helping matters. He felt her gaze on him; questioning his actions.

Finally, Raphael opened one eye and scowled. "Look. Between you an' meh dis isn't somethin' I do everyday. I don' normally meet humans who take my..._appearance _lightly; like you do. So, ta' make dis story short, I need ta' know that I can trust ya, girly." He noticed her eyes narrowed when he called her 'girly'. "My name is Christia. Not "Girly"." He just shrugged and gave her a pointed look. "Can I trust ya'?" The minutes ticked by as the girl- Christia- looked at him thoughtfully. "Yes," she told him after another minute. "I don't see a reason why you shouldn't."

That was all he needed. "Good. Now dat we are on some sorta trust-level; let's discuss some things- First off, I don't want people ta' know about meh. So dat means ya' have ta' keep yer pretty little lips sealed. No tellin' ANY of yer friends or family." A faint blush dusted her face at his 'lip' comment but otherwise she nodded. "Second- don't get hopefull tha' we just became 'buddies'; cause we ain't." He paused trying to think of any other thing to tell her. Thinking of none, he shifted so that he faced her. "We clear, Christia?"

Christia sat cross-legged on the couch and had set her head on her hands. A small frown was etched on her face; obviously she was deep in thought. Raphael thanked God for the moment of peace. If not for his headache, but for giving him a moment to actually look around. The place wasn't small but it wasn't large either. Obviously, because of the decor, he was in the livingroom. It was a nice biege color with an off-white trim. Some landscape pictures hung on the far wall and a tall bookcase stood next to a lamp behind the biege recliner. The only thing that didn't match the room was the leather couch; that looked so worn, that he guessed it had been with them a long time. It was simple and nice and Raphael liked that. Simple and nice...unlike the fiery vixen that sat infront of him.

_Speaking of her..._Raphael stole a look at his, er, rescuer. She was a little shorter than he was but taller than most females. Her skin was a pale that was common for NewYorker's but it was a creamy pale. In her sitting position Raphael could still tell that she had a nice figure; almost an hour glass shape. Traveling up to her head he noticed her face was a heart-shape and was extremely pretty. She had small, but full lips, a small nose, perfectly trimmed eyebrows, and big, expressive silver eyes that were framed by soft looking red-brown hair that came to her shoulders. Raphael felt something stir in him and he felt his heart beat faster.

He knew this feeling- he had had it when April first started hanging out with them. It was a feeling that he banished long ago because it would only cause his heart to shatter in the end. _You__ stopped chasing after April jus' a few months ago! Now ya' decide ta' start racing fer some hot chick that I jus' met and won't be seeing again?! What da' hell is wrong wit' ja'? _He yelled at his heart. Raphael was determined to stop this nonsense before it even began.

**_Click! Click! Click!_** Slender fingers snapped infront of his face. Raphael scowled at Christia who was the owner of said fingers. He lost his composure for a moment when he saw the position Christia was in. On her hands in knees, infront of his face, her loose outfit allowed enough room for his wandering eyes to see down her shirt. "_What?!" _he covered up the crack in his voice with a growl. Christia leaned back with a smirk on her face. Raphael instantly became suspicious and moved farther away from her. Apparently she sensed his discomfort because her smirk widdened and he could see her white teeth. "What?" he asked again; more cautious. She quirked an eyebrow at the edge in his voice. "Oh, nothing~" she quipped. "Only that, I will agree to your terms on one condition." Raphael tensed and clenched his fists. "You have to tell me your name."


	4. Chapter 4: Unexpected changes

**Tora- OMG! Thankyou everybody who has reviewed and favorited! I really wasn't expecting this many people reading it XD You've made me SO happy! Sorry that this is much shorter than everything else but it was all written down prior and I don't add onto anything unless it's complete trash. So back to where we left off, shall we?**

**Raphael- -.- Yes, please.**

**Christia- XD Tora only owns me and** **Rissa.**

Chapter 4: Unexpected Changes

The turtleman's body immediately tensed and he stared at me with a blank look. "Say tha' again," he commanded in his deep Brooklyn accent. I won't lie - The first time I heard his voice it sent chills up my spine. The good kind, er, well in this case, the bad kind. Anyway, I knew he heard me correctly and I didn't want to say anything, but I decided to humor him. "If you give me your name I'll keep your secret. If you don't, well, I have a _very _talkative friend who would enjoy telling your story." I gave him a coy smile. His eyes narrowed. "I don' see that as an incentive fer me ta' tell ya' anything."

I cocked my head; frowning on the inside. _So you know how to play this, eh? _"And why is that?" He gave me a fierce grin that made my insides flip. "Cuz ya' wouldn't get far 'fore I would find ya'." The way he said it made my insides go on a rollercoaster. "So, you might wanna give meh a betta reason, Christia." This time I frowned on the outside and crossed my arms. "Okay, Mr. Smarty-pants, how about I gave you my name so it's only fair you give me yours?" He snorted and shook his head. "Tha's all you got?" He gave me a small smile, a twinkle in his eyes. "Ya' gotta give me a betta reason than that!" I 'humphed' and looked down at my lap. An idea came to then. "All right then," I looked him in the eyes. "How about this? I _saved your life._ I could have let you alone but I didn't; so you can pay me back by telling me your fricking name!"

The smile disappeared half way through my rant and his eyes narrowed even more. A snort escaped his nose. "Yeah, tha' still makes meh wonder why ya' did that." Rolling my eyes, I flung my arms up in the air. "I thought we were over this already! Is it _so fucking hard _to accept that I did it out of the kindness of my heart?!" This time I pleaded at him with my eyes. "I'm not quick to judge; besides the fact that you've tackled me to the ground once, you aren't a bad guy. That just makes my resolve for saving you even stronger."

"But I'm not a 'guy'," he pointed out. "At least, not a human one. I'm a freak of nature." I honestly felt like smacking the hell out of him. He was being so stubborn! "Well that's your opinion; now isn't it? I saw a **_man_** hurt; not a _**freak. **_Even when I first saw your appearance I only thought that it was going to be a wierd night. And it has been! But you can think whatever about me, I don't give-a-damn," I finished and sat quietly looking at him. He stared at me kinda slack-jawed. Then he put a hand to his head and didn't say anything for a while. This gave me time to calm down and look at my situation.

When he woke me up and I saw him tangled-up on the ground; you'd better believe I was hesitant about approaching him. I'm just a housing agent's and an antique shopkeeper's daughter! I know how to watch sales, keep track of items, and first-aid incase one of my mother's experiments backfires. That's how I know how to stitch. My mom owns our antique shop downstairs and, once, she tried to put a medieval scythe on the ceiling. It didn't work, as usual, and it swung and cut her shoulder. I had fun figuring out how to stop the bleeding and stuff; so dad got me first-aid classes. Well, this situation was _nothing _like that!

So I approached him with caution, and it's a good thing that I did because he tackled me to the ground! Odd enough, the first thing I noticed were his dark brown eyes. They seemed to almost glow with fire as he stared at me. Then he spoke and I practically turned into a puddle of goo_. _It was deep, it was masculine, it was fucking sexy! The third thing I noticed was that he had pinned me beneath him and I couldn't move. Fear started to seep its cold fingers into my nerve, and it intensified when he leaned down and whispered dangerously in my ear, "I want you ta tell meh what da hell I'm doin' in yer house, who ya work fer, and why I have bandages on my head!" I answered the barrage of questions as honestly as a schoolboy in a church. 'Course, I did that as quickly as I could because his death grip was cutting off circulation in my hands.

He took a moment to get his thoughts together before gazing at me with less hate and more suspicion. "Did ya' see the people who hit meh?"

"All I saw was a big guy and a girl with blonde hair run out of the alley," was my answer. I frowned a little as I tried to recall what exactly they looked like but my memory wasn't helping at all. I had this sneaking suspicion that I knew the girl too, but I just couldn't place her. Anyway, he went silent again for a few minutes. I felt like a total idiot right then and there because I never considered him losing his memory from the blow to the head. Well apparently I didn't need to feel too sorry for him because he seemed to remember what happened. He let out a silent gasp and his eyes dilated with horror, and his whole demeanor changed. His body went slack and the fire in his eyes disappeared. The room went from tense and angry to upsetting and shameful in less than a second.

I felt really bad that I had to interrupt whatever was going on in his head but my fingers had gone numb a few minutes before his memory came back. I was amazed by how easily he lifted my fat ass up and how much power he held in his hands. 'Course, yet again, I should have foreseen him passing out and opening the stitches but that's my lack of foresight for you. For fifteen minutes he was out cold while I re-stitched his damn head. I was mad and irritated that he ruined my hard work in a matter of seconds but that was immediately replaced by embarrassment when I realized he was awake. And just like any other male, he just couldn't seem to resist commenting on my blush. Speaking of blushing, I felt my face heat up as I remembered the cocky smirk he gave me. _It really has been one odd night. _

I realized the turtle-man was watching me and quickly hid my face. "Well?" I inquired. He sighed very loudly before replying. "Raphael. My name is Hamato Raphael." I blinked. _Hadn't been expecting that. _Aloud, I asked, "Like the Renaissance artist." He replied with a nod, and my face broke into a victory grin. "Cool name Raphael." He shrugged. "Eh, my father picked it." My ears perked up and he froze. Our gazes locked together and he gave me a warning glare that said 'There is no way in hell that I am going to tell you and if you so much as mention it again I will rip you to shreds'. I held up my hands as a sign of peace. "Easy, boy. I wasn't about to press you about any family you might have." He grunted and leaned his head on the back of the couch closing his eyes. We stayed silent for a few moments- Raphael resting and me looking around the room trying not to stare too much. Then- '_**BRIIIING! BRIIIIIING! BRIIING!'**_

We jumped at the same time and looked toward the kitchen. It took me a moment to realize that my home phone was ringing. _**'BRIIIIIIING!' **_It rang a second time and I bolted from the couch to answer it.

"Hello, this is the Harishimo residence?"

/Christia!/ A perky, loud voice echoed over the line. I winced and put the phone farther from my poor ear.

"Hi mom, how's the vacation?" Raphael, who had gone back to resting, opened one eye and looked at me. Ignoring his questioning gaze, I focused on my mom's voice.

/Oh Sweaty, did I wake you? Oh I'm SO sorry! I'm still getting used to the time change over here, but it is going well thank you for asking. How's everything back home?/

A small smile appeared on my face at my mom's concern. "It's fine mom, really..." I paused and glanced at Raphael. "And everything is fine. Nothing out of the ordinary besides Marissa being overly hyper, but that's also normal considering who she is."

Mom chuckled over the line. /Yes, that girl sure is a little stick of dynamite that is just continually going off./ She then ramble on and on about their trip and how great it was so far. Then, she surprised me. /Christia, I know it is summer and you have off, and you've been wanting to do some things in the shop; so your father and I have been thinking about letting you run the shop./

The phone nearly fell from my hand and I had to grab the wall to support myself. I was shocked to the point of shocked, and this was coming from a girl who had a mutated turtle in her living room! Apparently it showed to because said turtle was now alert and studying me from the couch.

/Christia? Sweaty? Damon, I think she may have fainted./ I heard her whisper over to my father. I cleared my throat twice before my voice decided to work again. "N-No mom, I'm still here and I haven't fainted," my voice cracked and I cleared it again. "Ahem, but I am shocked. Run the shop? _Run the shop?! _ Why on Earth do you want me to run the shop _by myself? _Is everything alright?"

My mother 'tutted'. /Now Christia, you know better! We are perfectly fine-/

"Well if you're perfectly fine then why do you want me to run the shop?" I squeaked.

She sighed. /Your father and I thought about...taking some more vacation time. Your father believes there may be some marketing down here and I want to find some objects for the shop./

Relief swept through me like a flood. Then anger was a raging tidal wave washing all other emotions away. Finally, suspicion crashed into my body with the force of a hurricane. "Okay, I see why, but for how long?" There was a few silent beats before,

/The whole time you're on summer vacation./

"_WHAT! HAVE YOU ALL GONE OFF THE DEEP END?" _I screeched into the phone. Raphael had gotten off the couch when I had asked how long they would e and migrated over to me. He cringed at the pitch of my voice but I could care less about how much I hurt his hearing. I was in panic mode which is a higher mode of anger for me. There was a 'whoosh' of air on the other end and a deeper, agitated voice answered.

/Christia Harishimo, that is no way to speak to us! We think it's finally time for you to run the shop by yourself and now is the perfect time to do it. So think of this as a promotion to store manager. Besides we are allowing you to do whatever you want to the shop./

That last part caught my attention. "Anything? Anything at all?"

/Yes. With restrictions of course but you know those already./

I gave a wry smile and I looked at Raphael. "Yeah, no parties, no over spending, no strangers, and absolutely NO boys."

He chuckled. /You got it kiddo. So what do you say, Sweetheart? Are we agreed?/

"Yeah, sure."

Another 'whoosh' and my mom came back on the line. /Oh good! We love you sweety and we will call every few days to check up on you. Okay?/ 

I rolled my eyes even though she couldn't see and laughed. "Yeah, mom, that's fine. I love you too. Goodbye." I hung up the phone and let out a sigh. _Geez, one surprise to the next it seems! _"Your parents I'm guessing?" Raphael's Brooklyn accent asked from behind me. "Yeah," I said as I turned, and nearly jumped out of my skin because he was so close. His brown eyes stared down at me curiously. "What'd they want?"

I skirted around him nervously and walked back to the couch. "Wanted to see how I was doing. They are on vacation in the Caribbean."

"So they left you by yerself?" came the accusing question. The way he asked it sounded like he disapproved. I glanced over my shoulder and smirked. "Yeah. I'm a big girl Raphael. I think I proved that by carrying your heavy ass up that fire-escape last night." Speaking of last night, what time was it right now? The clock on the wall across from me blared 6:30 A.M. "SHIT!" I shouted and raced to my room. Raphael followed asking me questions that I ignored due to my state of slight panic. I dashed to my closet and threw my closet door open and ransacking it. "Shit, shitshitshitshit, Shit! She'll be here soon and I'm not even ready!" I mumbled to myself. I nice tank top and a pair of skinny jeans caught my and I yanked them off the hangers. Someone grabbed my shoulders and whirled me around. Raphael's very irritated face came into my view; his eyes glowing again. "I swear ta God, Christia, if ya' don't tell me what da hell is goin' on I'm gonna throttle ya'!"

I took a deep breath. "It's my bff. She's coming over to come and get me so we can hang out and go see a movie or two. She'll be here in a half-hour and I have to be ready and you have to disappear by then!" By now I was literally freaking out and talking a mile a minute. I dashed around him, jumped over my bed, and made it into my bathroom. "I won't be longer than ten minutes so hold on, 'kay?" And I slammed a the door on a very startled, very agitated Raphael.


End file.
